Method and apparatus for minimizing gradient coil and rf coil coupling

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are provided which reduce coupling between a Z-axis gradient coil and an rf coil in magnetic resonance imaging systems and an rf shield disposed between the Z-axis gradient coil and the remaining gradient coils. The reduction in coupling is accomplished by novel windings of conductor forming the Z-axis gradient coil.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of medicaldiagnostic imaging. More particularly, the present invention relates tothe magnetic resonance imaging and to the reduction of noise withinmagnetic resonance imaging systems incorporating ultra-short cylindricalmagnets.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems have become ubiquitous in thefield of medical diagnostics. Over the two past decades, improvedtechniques for MRI examinations have been developed that now permit veryhigh-quality images to be produced in a relatively short time. As aresult, diagnostic images with varying degrees of resolution areavailable to the radiologist that can be adapted to particulardiagnostic applications.

In general, MRI examinations are based on the interactions among aprimary magnetic field, a radiofrequency (rf) magnetic field and timevarying magnetic gradient fields with nuclear spins within the subjectof interest. Specific nuclear components, such as hydrogen nuclei inwater molecules, have characteristic behaviors in response to externalmagnetic fields. The precession of spins of such nuclear components canbe influenced by manipulation of the fields to obtain rf signals thatcan be detected, processed, and used to reconstruct a useful image.

The magnetic fields used to produce images in MRI systems include ahighly uniform, static magnetic field that is produced by a primarymagnet. A series of gradient fields are produced by a set of threegradient coils disposed around the subject. Tile gradient fields encodepositions of individual volume elements or voxels in three dimensions. Aradiofrequency coil is employed to produce an rf magnetic field. This rfmagnetic field perturbs the spin system from its equilibrium direction,causing the spins to precess around the axis of their equilibriummagnetization. During this precession, radiofrequency fields are emittedby the spins and detected by either the same transmitting rf coil,typically a birdcage resonator, or by a separate receive-only coil.These signals are amplified, filtered, and digitized. The digitizedsignals are then processed using one of several possible reconstructionalgorithms to reconstruct a useful image.

Many specific techniques have been developed to acquire MR images for avariety of applications. One major difference among these techniques isin the way gradient pulses and rf pulses are used to manipulate the spinsystems to yield different image contrasts, signal-to-noise ratios, andresolutions. Graphically, such techniques are illustrated as “pulsesequences” in which the pulses are represented along with temporalrelationships among them. In recent years, pulse sequences have beendeveloped which permit extremely rapid acquisition of a large amount ofraw data. Such pulse sequences permit significant reduction in the timerequired to perform the examinations. Time reductions are particularlyimportant for acquiring high-resolution images, as well as forsuppressing motion effects and reducing the discomfort of patients inthe examination process.

While field interactions are fundamental to the encoding of dataacquired in MRI systems, certain field interactions are undesirable, ormay lead to degradation of the image data. For example, when theappropriate pulses are applied to an rf coil during an examinationsequence, rf energy from the rf coil can penetrate the gradient coilstructure where it is dissipated by lossy eddy currents induced in thegradient coil structure. To maintain a high efficiency of the rf coil,an rf shield is typically positioned between the rf coil and thegradient coil set so as to prevent or reduce penetration of the rfmagnetic field into all of the gradient coils. The design of the rfshield is such that minimal eddy currents are generated by switching ofthe gradient fields, rendering the rf shield substantially transparentto the gradient fields. At the same time, the rf frequencies are muchhigher than characteristic eddy current decay rates in the shield, hencethe shield functions like an impenetrable barrier to rf fields. However,the proximity of an rf shield to the rf coil conductors, particularly inthe case of a whole body rf transmit coil, may significantly affect theoverall power efficiency and the signal-to-noise ratio of the rf coil.Therefore, in general, it is desirable to place the rf shield as far aspossible from the rf coil.

To address these concerns, the rf shield may be placed between thegradient coils such that the Z-axis gradient coil, typically anantisymmetric solenoid-type coil of varying pitch, is positioned withinthe shield, that is, between the shield and the rf transmit coil. Thisconfiguration is possible because the mode of the rf coil that istypically used in MRI has little or no net magnetic flux in the Z-axisdirection, resulting in minimal coupling between the rf coil and theZ-axis gradient coil. In this configuration, the radiofrequency field isessentially undisturbed by the presence of the Z-axis gradient coil onthe interior of the shield surface, allowing the rf shield to be movedsignificantly away from the transmit coil and thereby providing asignificant reduction in noise and an increase in efficiency.

This configuration, however, may be unacceptable in systems usingultra-short cylindrical magnets where the spacing between the windingsof the Z-axis gradient coil is drastically reduced. At this reducedspacing, a number of factors appear to prevent proper decoupling of thehigh-density z-gradient coil from the rf coil. First, in such systemsthe distance between the rf coil conductors and the Z-axis gradientconductors may be as little as 10 mm, resulting in frequentmisalignment, either radially or in the direction of the Z-axis, whichleads to coupling between the rf coil and the Z-axis gradient coil.Second, coupling occurs between the end rings of the birdcage resonatorand the Z-axis gradient windings as they pass over the end rings.Finally, the quality factor, or Q, associated with the system dependsupon the angle between the conductive “rumgs” of the birdcage resonatorand the connecting wire which connects the 2 antisymmetric halves of theZ-axis gradient coil. In particular, Q is reduced each time theconnecting wire passes above one of the birdcage rungs.

There is a need, therefore, for an improved technique for winding aZ-axis gradient. To address the drawbacks in hereto foreknown systems,there is a particular need for a technique which minimizes interactionsbetween the z-gradient and the birdcage rf body coil in systemsemploying ultra-short cylindrical magnets and a rf shield outside of theZ-axis gradient coil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a Z-axis gradient winding techniquedesigned to respond to such needs. The technique may be employed in awide range of systems, but is particularly suitable to magneticresonance imaging systems employing ultra-short cylindrical magnets,such as those used in medical diagnostic applications. The technique mayalso be employed in any suitable MRI scanner design, including full bodyscanners, open scanners, and scanners with a range of field ratings.Where appropriate, the technique may be used to retrofit existingscanners, or may be incorporated into new designs, particularly in theconfiguration of the gradient coil structure.

The technique makes use of novel windings for Z-axis gradient coils. Inone embodiment, a gap is formed in the Z-axis gradient coil winding overeach birdcage coil end ring. A straight connecting wire is then used tocross the gap in the least distance, reducing the coupling between therf coil and the Z-axis gradient coil attributable to the end rings to aminimum. In a second embodiment, the antisymmetric halves of the Z-axisgradient coil are connected across the isocenter with a spirally woundconnector. The spiral winding of the connector distributes any couplingattributable to the connector among all of the rungs of the birdcage rfbody coil. The technique has been demonstrated to provide a significantreduction in coupling between the Z-axis gradient coil and the rf coilwhen these coils are disposed radially interior of an rf shield.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system isprovided utilizing a novel gradient coil winding. The system possessesan rf coil consisting of end rings with rungs running between the endrings and a gradient coil disposed about the rf coil. The gradient coilcomprises a gradient conductor wound as a solenoid coil and is woundsuch that there is a gap in the winding above each end ring of the rfcoil which is crossed by a portion of the conductor.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system isprovided utilizing a novel gradient coil winding. The system possessesan rf coil consisting of end rings with rungs running between the endrings and a gradient coil disposed about the rf coil. The gradient coilcomprises a gradient conductor wound as a solenoid coil symmetric aboutthe isocenter of the gradient field produced by the gradient coil suchthat there is a positive and negative half of the symmetric solenoidcoil which are connected by a symmetric, spirally wound connecting wireformed of a segment of the gradient conductor.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system isprovided utilizing a novel gradient coil winding. The system possessesan inner tube formed by a birdcage rf coil comprising a pair of endrings connected by spaced apart rungs. The system also possesses anouter tube disposed about the inner tube and formed by a gradient coilcomprising a conductive element wound to form a solenoid coil with a gapabove each end ring crossed by a minimum amount of the conductiveelement. The winding of the solenoid coil is reversed at a transverseplane bisecting the coil such that the conductive element crossing thetransverse plane is a symmetric, spirally wound segment which circlesthe inner tube in multiples of one half of a turn prior to reversing.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a gradientcoil is provided comprising a conductor wound as a solenoid coil inwhich the winding is reversed at the isocenter of a field generated bythe gradient coil such that a first winding exists prior to the reversaland a second winding exists subsequent to the reversal. The transitionfrom the first winding to the second winding is accomplished by aspirally wound segment of the conductor which passes around a whole bodyrf coil at least one half of a turn prior to reversing.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a coil isprovided comprising a conductor wound as a solenoid coil in which thewinding is reversed at the isocenter of a field generated by the coilsuch that a first winding exists prior to the reversal and a secondwinding exists subsequent to the reversal. The winding of the coilincludes a pair of gaps, one on either side of the isocenter, such thateach gap is situated so that the solenoid coil is not wound above a pairof end rings of an underlying whole body rf coil. A minimum amount ofconductive material crosses each gap.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method ofwinding a gradient coil is provided in which the coupling between thegradient coil and a rf coil is reduced. The method includes winding aconductor about the rf coil to form a solenoid coil and forming a spiralof the conductor as the location of the desired isocenter for a gradientfield produced by the gradient coil is approached such that the spiralpasses around the rf coil in increments of half of a turn prior toreversing. At the location of the desired isocenter, the winding of thesolenoid coil is reversed, forming a symmetric solenoid coil, includinga reversed spiral, about the desired isocenter.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method ofwinding a gradient coil is provided in which the coupling between thegradient coil and a rf coil is reduced. The method includes winding aconductor about the rf coil to form a solenoid coil and forming a gap ina portion of the solenoid coil disposed above an end ring of the rf coilsuch that the gap is crossed by a length of the conductor. At thelocation of the desired isocenter, the winding of the solenoid coil isreversed, forming a symmetric solenoid coil about the desired isocenter.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a magneticresonance imaging system is provided. The magnetic resonance imagingsystem includes a rf coil comprised of two end rings connected by rungsand a gradient coil disposed about the rf coil comprising a gradientconductor generally wound as a symmetric solenoid coil in which thewinding is reversed at the desired isocenter of a gradient fieldproduced by the gradient coil. The system also includes a means fordecoupling a portion of the gradient coil from an underlying end ring.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a magneticresonance imaging system is provided. The magnetic resonance imagingsystem includes a rf coil comprised of two end rings connected by rungsand a gradient coil disposed about the rf coil comprising a gradientconductor generally wound as a symmetric solenoid coil in which thewinding is reversed at the desired isocenter of a gradient fieldproduced by the gradient coil. The system also includes a means fordistributing among the rungs any coupling between a segment of thegradient conductor and the rf coil such that the coupling is distributedsubstantially equally among the rungs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention willbecome apparent upon reading the following detailed description and uponreference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical representation of an MRI system for use inmedical diagnostic imaging and implementing certain aspects of thepresent shielding technique;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical representation of an exemplary whole body rfcoil;

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of an exemplary pulse sequencedescription for an MRI examination which may be implemented in thesystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical representation of the layout of gradientcoils and an rf shield between the gradient coils;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical representation of an exemplary Z-axisgradient coil which may be used in a whole body coil structure;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a Z-axis gradient coil disposed about a rf coilas is known in prior systems; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of a Z-axis gradient coil disposed about a rf coilin accordance with certain aspects of the present technique.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to FIG. 1, a magneticresonance imaging (MRI) system 10 is illustrated diagrammatically asincluding a scanner 12, scanner control circuitry 14, and system controlcircuitry 16. While the MRI system 10 may include any suitable MRIscanner or detector, in the illustrated embodiment the system includes afull body scanner comprising a patient bore 18 into which a table 20 maybe positioned to place a patient 22 in a desired position for scanning.The scanner 12 may be of any suitable type of rating, including scannersvarying from 0.5 Tesla ratings to 1.5 Tesla ratings and beyond.

The scanner 12 includes a series of associated coils for producingcontrolled magnetic fields, for generating radiofrequency excitationpulses, and for detecting emissions from gyromagnetic material withinthe patient in response to such pulses. In the diagrammatical view ofFIG. 1, a primary magnet coil 24 is provided for generating a primarymagnetic field generally aligned with patient bore 18. A series ofgradient coils 26, 28 and 30 are grouped in a coil assembly forgenerating controlled magnetic gradient fields during examinationsequences as described more fully below. A radiofrequency coil 32 isprovided for generating radiofrequency pulses for exciting thegyromagnetic material.

In a present embodiment, a birdcage coil structure 34, illustrated inFIG. 2, is employed as an exemplary whole body coil. As will beappreciated by those skilled in the art, such coil structures includelongitudinal conductors 36 and conductive end rings 38. Pulses appliedto the conductors are driven at a desired frequency, such as 64 MHz, toexcite a particular mode of the rf coil 32.

Referring once again to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the rfcoil 32 also serves as a receiving coil. Thus, the rf coil 32 may becoupled with driving and receiving circuitry in passive and active modesfor receiving emissions from the gyromagnetic material and for applyingradiofrequency excitation pulses, respectively. Alternatively, variousconfigurations of receiving coils may be provided separate from the rfcoil 32. Such coils may include structures specifically adapted fortarget anatomies, such as head coil assemblies, and so forth. Moreover,receiving coils may be provided in any suitable physical configuration,including phased array coils, and so forth. A radiofrequency shield 40(see, e.g., FIG. 4) may be positioned between the gradient coils 26, 28and 30 to shield the rf coil 32 from the presence of certain of thegradient coils during operation. In particular, the rf shield 40prevents the rf magnetic field from entering certain of the gradientcoils, as discussed below, which would negatively affect the efficiencyof the rf coil 32.

In a present configuration, the gradient coils 26, 28 and 30 havedifferent physical configurations adapted to their function in theimaging system 10. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art,the coils 26, 28 and 30 are comprised of conductive wires, bars orplates which are wound or cut to form a coil structure which generates agradient field upon application of control pulses as described below.The placement of the coils within the gradient coil assembly may be donein several different orders, but in the present embodiment, a Z-axiscoil is positioned at an innermost location, and is formed generally asan antisymmetric solenoid-like structure. Thus, in the illustratedembodiment, gradient coil 30 is the Z-axis solenoid coil, while coils 26and 28 are Y-axis and X-axis coils respectively. In the presentconfiguration, the rf shield 40 is positioned between Z-axis coil 30 andX-axis coil 28.

The coils of scanner 12 are controlled by external circuitry to generatedesired fields and pulses, and to read signals from the gyromagneticmaterial in a controlled manner. As will be appreciated by those skilledin the art, when the material, typically bound in tissues of thepatient, is subjected to the primary field, individual magnetic momentsof the paramagnetic nuclei in the tissue partially align with the field.While a net magnetic moment is produced in the direction of thepolarizing field, the randomly oriented components of the magneticmoment in a perpendicular plane generally cancel one another. During anexamination sequence, an rf frequency pulse is generated at or near theLarmor frequency of the material of interest, resulting in rotation ofthe net aligned magnetic moment to produce a net transverse magneticmoment. This transverse magnetic moment precesses around the mainmagnetic field direction, emitting rf signals that are detected by thescanner and processed for reconstruction of the desired image.

Gradient coils 26, 28 and 30 serve to generate precisely controlledmagnetic fields, the strength of which vary over a predefined field ofview, typically with positive and negative polarity. When each coil isenergized with known electric current, the resulting magnetic fieldgradient is superimposed over the primary field and produces a desirablylinear variation in the Z-axis component of the magnetic field strengthacross the field of view. The field varies linearly in one direction,but is homogenous in the other two. The three coils have mutuallyorthogonal axes for the direction of their variation, enabling a linearfield gradient to be imposed in an arbitrary direction with anappropriate combination of the three gradient coils.

The pulsed gradient fields perform various functions integral to theimaging process. Some of these functions are slice selection, frequencyencoding and phase encoding. These functions can be applied along theX-, Y- and Z-axis of the original coordinate system or along other axesdetermined by combinations of pulsed currents applied to the individualfield coils.

The slice select gradient determines a slab of tissue or anatomy to beimaged in the patient. The slice select gradient field may be appliedsimultaneously with a frequency selective rf pulse to excite a knownvolume of spins within a desired slice that precess at the samefrequency. The slice thickness is determined by the bandwidth of the rfpulse and the gradient strength across the field of view.

The frequency encoding gradient is also known as the readout gradient,and is usually applied in a direction perpendicular to the slice selectgradient. In general, the frequency encoding gradient is applied beforeand during the formation of the MR echo signal resulting from the rfexcitation. Spins of the gyromagnetic material under the influence ofthis gradient are frequency encoded according to their spatial positionalong the gradient field. By Fourier transformation, acquired signalsmay be analyzed to identify their location in the selected slice byvirtue of the frequency encoding.

Finally, the phase encode gradient is generally applied before thereadout gradient and after the slice select gradient. Localization ofspins in the gyromagnetic material in the phase encode direction isaccomplished by sequentially inducing variations in phase of theprecessing spins of the material using slightly different gradientamplitudes that are sequentially applied during the data acquisitionsequence. The phase encode gradient permits phase differences to becreated among the spins of the material in accordance with theirposition in the phase encode direction.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a great number ofvariations may be devised for pulse sequences employing the exemplarygradient pulse functions described above as well as other gradient pulsefunctions not explicitly described here. Moreover, adaptations in thepulse sequences may be made to appropriately orient both the selectedslice and the frequency and phase encoding to excite the desiredmaterial and to acquire resulting MR signals for processing.

The coils of scanner 12 are controlled by scanner control circuitry 14to generate the desired magnetic field and radiofrequency pulses. Thescanner control circuitry 14 may include one or more control circuitsfor commanding the pulse sequences employed during the examinations, andfor processing received signals. The control circuits may include anysuitable programmable logic device, such as a CPU or digital signalprocessor of a general purpose or application-specific computer as wellas memory circuitry. The memory circuitry is typically of a typesuitable for storing physical and logical axis configuration parameters,examination pulse sequence descriptions, acquired image data,programming routines, and so forth, used during the examinationsequences implemented by the scanner. The scanner control circuitry 14may also include amplification and control circuitry and transmissionand receive circuitry which allows interface between the controlcircuits and the coils of scanner 12. Finally, scanner control circuitry14 includes interface components for exchanging configuration and imagedata with system control circuitry 16.

System control circuitry 16 may include a wide range of devices forfacilitating interface between an operator or radiologist and scanner 12via scanner control circuitry 14. For example, an operator controllermay be provided in the form of a computer workstation employing ageneral purpose or application-specific computer which may store pulsesequence descriptions, examination protocols, or patient and image data.The workstation may further include various interface and peripheraldrivers for both local and remote exchanges of data. Typical inputs maybe accomplished via a keyboard or mouse. Typical outputs may be via aprinter or computer monitor 48. Additional data exchanges may includevarious local and remote image access and examination control devicessuch as picture archiving and communication systems, teleradiologysystems, and the like.

In general, pulse sequences implemented in the MRI system will bedefined by both functional and physical configuration sets and parametersettings stored within control circuitry 14. By way of example, FIG. 3illustrates a typical pulse sequence which may be implemented on asystem such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. While many different pulsesequence definitions may be implemented, depending upon the examinationtype, in the example of FIG. 3, a gradient recalled acquisition insteady state mode (GRASS) pulse sequence is defined by a series ofpulses and gradients appropriately timed with respect to one another.The pulse sequence, indicated generally by reference numeral 66, is thusdefined by pulses on a slice select axis 68, a frequency encoding axis70, a phase encoding axis 72, an rf axis 74, and a data acquisition axis76. In general, the pulse sequence description begins with a pair ofgradient pulses on slice select axis 68 as represented at referencenumeral 78. During a first of these gradient pulses, an rf pulse 80 isgenerated to excite gyromagnetic material in the subject. Phase encodingpulses 82 are then generated, followed by a frequency encoding gradient84. A data acquisition window 86 provides for sensing signals resultingfrom the excitation pulses which are phase and frequency encoded. Thepulse sequence description terminates with additional gradient pulses onthe slice select, frequency encoding, and phase encoding axes.

During the examination sequences such as the exemplary sequencedescribed above, electromagnetic interactions, such as rf couplingbetween the rf and gradient coils, may adversely affect the operation ofthe system. For example, the presence of the gradient coils(particularly the X and Y-axis coils) will increase the seriesresistance of the rf coil and may alter its frequency due to inductiveand capacitive coupling. Moreover, the efficiency of the rf coil and thesignal-to-noise ratio may be jeopardized. Such interactions may alsosignificantly affect the rf magnetic field if allowed to penetrate intothe lossy material making up the gradient coils. In particular, it hasbeen found that the X-axis coil 26 and the Y-axis coil 28 have stronginteractions with the rf field if the rf field is allowed to penetrateinto those regions of the gradient coil. This leads to undesirable rflosses and a reduction in performance (efficiency and Q, a commonperformance measure) of the rf coil. One solution to this problem is toposition an rf shield 40 at an intermediate position within the gradientcoil assembly, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, the coil assembly 88 includes the inner gradientcoils 26, 28 and 30 described above, and an rf shield 40 placed betweenthe innermost gradient coil 30 and the next adjacent gradient coil 28.In a present embodiment, the innermost gradient coil 30 is a modifiedsolenoid-type coil, such as the Z-axis coil. The rf shield 40 may be anysuitable form of shield such as one or more thin sheets of conductivematerial, such as copper. Alternative forms of rf shields may be adaptedto the specific scanner structure. Examples of such scanner structuresinclude cylindrical and planar structures such as those used in open MRIsystems. In each of these cases, however, the rf shield 40 is placedwithin the gradient coils to take advantage of the relatively minorinfluence of the transverse rf magnetic field on the solenoid-type orZ-axis coil 30, and to position the shield at an advantageously greaterdistance from the rf coil 32.

As noted above, in accordance with the present technique, any suitableform of rf shield 40 may be provided at the locations described. Forexample, the shield 40 effectively appears as a solid cylinder that isimpenetrable at rf frequencies, at least in the cylindrical arrangementillustrated. However, the shield 40 may include openings or voids whichrender the shield 40 more transparent to gradient magnetic fields. Theseopenings or voids are generally designed to preserve as well as possiblethe shielding effect on the rf fields. The shield 40 also may includemultiple layers of material with capacitance between the layers, suchthat at the rf frequencies employed in operation the shield 40 functionsas a solid shield. In another implementation, the shield 40 may beformed of a single layer of copper mesh, the mesh size and thicknessbeing chosen such that the shield 40 reflects at rf frequencies and yetis transparent for the gradient fields.

In the present embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4, outer gradient coilsare provided beyond the inner gradient coils. These outer gradientcoils, designated by reference numerals 92, 94 and 96 in FIG. 4, make upthe remainder of the gradient coil structure. The function of the outergradient coils is to cancel the gradient magnetic fields, as well aspossible, in the regions outside the gradient tube assembly to minimizeinteraction with components of the cryostat structure and other metallicparts of the magnet structure. As will be appreciated by those skilledin the art, each gradient coil of the structure includes one or moreconductive elements supported on a support structure, such as afiberglass resin composite tube.

Because the gradient coils 26 and 28 are very lossy at the rffrequencies employed in the pulse sequences, the rf shield 40 preventsor greatly reduces the penetration of the rf field into these coils,thereby avoiding the loss of energy. It should be noted that thepositioning of the rf shield 40 between coils 28 and 30 in the coilassembly 88 increases the distance between the rf coil 32 and the shield40. Increasing the distance between rf coil 32 and rf shield 40 permitsreductions in the amount of energy which may be supplied to the rf coilto obtain the desired magnetic field strength. Moreover, by distancingthe rf shield from the rf coil through its position intermediate thegradient coils, a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratioand the efficiency can be obtained. Thus, the system may be providedwith a reduced-size rf amplifier, and problems associated with higher rfenergies in heretofore known systems are avoided.

In addition, placing the rf shield 40 within the gradient coil assembly88 enhances the efficiency of the gradient coils. In particular, theconfiguration permits the primary gradient coils to be placed a reduceddistance from the longitudinal center line of the field system,improving the efficiency of the gradient coils. Indeed, the efficiencyof a gradient coil is extremely sensitive to the distance between theprimary gradient windings and the gradient shielding windings. Thus, byreducing the distance between the primary gradient coils and thelongitudinal center line, the distance between the primary and shieldwindings of all three gradient coils may be increased, significantlyimproving the efficiency of all three gradient coil assemblies.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the Z-axis coil 30,located inward of the rf shield 40, is formed generally as a modifiedwound solenoid coil with progressive turns of the solenoid conductorbeing spaced at varying distances or pitch along the length and abouteither side of a transverse center plane, as depicted in FIG. 5. Inaddition, the winding direction is reversed on either side of thetransverse center plane to produce a mirror-image, symmetrical structurewith respect to a transverse XY plane. Thus, coil 30 will include awound conductor 108, such as a copper wire, rod or bar, supported on acylindrical support structure 110.

In practice, the above described techniques work adequately in numerousMR imaging systems. However in systems incorporating ultra-shortcylindrical magnets the conventional winding of the Z-axis coilconductors may lead to a variety of problems. Such an ultra-short systemis depicted in FIG. 6, which illustrates the reduced inter-windingspacing of the wound conductor 108 comprising the Z-axis gradient coil30, and the resulting reduction in pitch and pitch variability, comparedto non-short systems. In an ultra-short system of the type depicted theinter-winding spacing may be in the range of 1.5 mm. This drasticreduction in inter-winding spacing is necessary to maintain powerefficiency and linearity of the gradient field. However, while thehigh-density winding in such an ultra-short system increases powerefficiency, it also makes it difficult to obtain sufficient decouplingof the Z-axis gradient coil 30 and the birdcage rf coil 34 in theabsence of an interposed shield.

Biot Savart calculations confirm that, theoretically, inductive couplingbetween the birdcage rf coil 34 and the Z-axis gradient coil 30 shouldnot occur due to the configuration of the coils. In particular, abirdcage rf coil 34 primarily generates an rf field in the radialdirection and no net flux in the direction of the Z-axis when integratedover the coil. In the Z-axis gradient coil 30, the current distributionis antisymmetric about the origin. Therefore, in theory, the birdcage rfcoil 34 will not couple inductively with a solenoidal coil, such as theZ-axis gradient coil 30, provided that the birdcage rf coil 34 isradially and longitudinally centered inside the Z-axis gradient coil 30.In ultra-short systems, however, the distance between the Conductors ofthe birdcage end rings 38 and the wound gradient conductors 108 may beas little as 10 mm, requiring alignment accuracy to be a fraction of amillimeter, a virtual impossibility in practice. Misalignment results inresidual coupling between the birdcage rf coil 34 and the Z-axisgradient coil 30, leading to a low quality factor, or Q, and anassociated loss of efficiency. It is therefore desirable to optimallywind the Z-axis gradient coil conductors 108 such that the interactionbetween the birdcage rf coil 34 and the Z-axis gradient coil 30 isminimized.

With reference to FIG. 6, two aspects of the conventional winding of aZ-axis gradient coil 30 have been found to contribute to the reductionof the Q of the birdcage rf coil 34. First, the portion of woundconductor 108 disposed above the end ring 38 of the birdcage rf coil 34produces residual coupling, thereby reducing the Q associated with thesystem. Referring now to FIG. 7, this problem is addressed by windingthe Z-axis gradient coil 30 such that there is an end ring gap 114 aboveeach end ring 38. The Q of the birdcage rf coil 34 is now measured as afunction of the width of end ring gap 114. A gap wire 116 spans the endring gap 1 14 to connect the portions of wound conductor 108 on eitherside of gap 114. Gap wire 116 may be of any configuration however, inone embodiment, it is straight. This straight configuration allows gap114 to be bridged with a minimum of gap wire 116 above gap 114 and isthe embodiment depicted in FIG. 7. Presenting a minimum of gap wire 116above gap 114 is believed to minimize negative effects upon the Q of thebirdcage rf coil 34. Gap 114 may be either narrower or wider than endring 38, however in one embodiment, an end ring 38 which is one inchwide and a gap 114 which is two inches wide has been found to produceacceptable results.

In addition, referring once again to FIG. 6, the straight connector wire112 connecting the symmetric positive and negative portions of theZ-axis gradient coil 30 causes the Q of the birdcage rf coil 34 to varywith the azimuthal position of the connecting wire. In particular, theuse of a straight wire to connect the symmetric portions of the Z-axisgradient coil 30 results in birdcage rf coil 34 producing ellipticallypolarized fields as opposed to the desired circular polarized fields. Asa result, Q varies with the angle between birdcage rung 36 and theconnector wire 112 such that every time the connector wire 112 passesover one of the rungs 36, Q drops.

Referring once again to FIG. 7, this problem is addressed by using aspirally wound connector 118 to connect the positive and negativeportions of the Z-axis gradient coil 30 across the isocenter. Anycoupling between the birdcage rf coil 34 and the Z-axis gradient coil 30which results from spirally wound connector 118 is equally distributedamong the rungs 36 of the birdcage rf coil 34. Though FIG. 7 depicts aspirally wound connector 118 which encircles the rf coil 34 once andthen reverses, those skilled in the art will understand that thespirally wound connector 118 may simply undergo a half-revolution or anymultiple thereof, i.e. 180°, 360°, 540°, 720°, before reversing. Thisuse of half-revolution spirals in the gradient coil 30 is feasible,combined with the homogeneous mode of the rf coil 34, due to thetendency of opposing rungs to operate at the same current amplitude butwith 180 degree phase difference, thereby spreading any coupling betweenall of the rungs. Due to the use of spirally wound conductor 118, eitherthe Z-axis gradient coil 30 or the birdcage rf coil 34 can rotate aboutthe Z-axis without changing the Q of the birdcage rf coil 34. Use ofthese winding techniques preserve a high Q factor associated with thebirdcage rf coil 34 while allowing the use of a gradient embedded shieldin ultra-short systems.

While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and have been described in detail herein.However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended tobe limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention isto cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the followingappended claims.

1. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: a radiofrequency (rf)coil comprising two end rings connected by a plurality of rungs disposedperpendicular to the plane of the end rings; and a gradient coil,disposed about the rf coil, comprising a gradient conductor wound as asolenoid coil in which there is a gap above each end ring in which thesolenoid coil is not wound and in which each gap is crossed by a portionof the conductor.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The magnetic resonance imaging systemof claim 1, wherein each portion of the gradient conductor which crossesa respective gap disposes a minimal portion of the gradient conductorabove the respective end ring.
 4. The magnetic resonance imaging systemof claim 1, wherein the solenoid coil is symmetric about an isocenter ofa field formed by the gradient coil such that the gradient coilcomprises a positive half and a negative half which are connected by asegment of the gradient conductor forming a symmetric spirally woundconnecting wire.
 5. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 4,wherein the winding of the gradient conductor is reversed at theisocenter.
 6. (canceled)
 7. (canceled)
 8. (canceled)
 9. The magneticresonance imaging system of claim 5, wherein the symmetric spirallywound connecting wire is disposed about the plurality of rungs such thatcoupling between the rungs and the symmetric spirally wound connectingwire is distributed substantially evenly between the rungs. 10.(canceled)
 11. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: aradiofrequency (rf) coil comprising two end rings connected by aplurality of rungs disposed perpendicular to the plane of the end rings;and a gradient coil, disposed about the rf coil, comprising a gradientconductor wound as a solenoid coil in which the winding is reversed at atransverse plane located at the isocenter of a field generated by thecoil to form a first winding and a reversed, second winding, thetransition from the first winding to the second winding beingaccomplished by a spirally wound segment of the conductor which passesaround the rf coil at least one half of a turn prior to reversing. 12.(canceled)
 13. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 11,wherein the spirally wound segment wire passes around the rf coil inmultiples of one half of a turn.
 14. The magnetic resonance imagingsystem of claim 11, wherein the spirally wound segment is disposed aboutthe plurality of rungs such that coupling between the rungs and thespirally wound segment is distributed substantially evenly between therungs.
 15. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 11, whereinthere is a gap in the solenoid coil above each end ring which is crossedby a portion of the conductor.
 16. (canceled)
 17. (canceled) 18.(canceled)
 19. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: aradiofrequency (rf) coil comprising a pair of end rings connected by aplurality of rungs disposed perpendicular to the plane of the end rings;and a gradient coil comprising conductor wound as a solenoid coil inwhich the winding is reversed at a transverse plane located at theisocenter of a field generated by the coil to form a first winding and areversed, second winding, the transition from the first winding to thesecond winding being accomplished by a spirally wound segment of theconductor which passes around the whole body rf coil at least one halfof a turn prior to reversing and wherein the coil further comprises apair of gaps, one on either side of the transverse plane, wherein eachgap is situated so that the solenoid coil is not wound above a pair ofend rings of the whole body rf coil and wherein a minimum amount ofconductive material crosses each gap.
 20. The magnetic resonance imagingsystem of claim 19, wherein the spirally wound segment circles the rfcoil such that coupling between the rungs and the spirally wound segmentis distributed substantially evenly between the rungs.
 21. The magneticresonance imaging system of claim 19, wherein the minimum amount ofconductive material comprises a straight portion of the conductivematerial running perpendicular to the general plane of the gap. 22.(canceled)
 23. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 19,further comprising a rf shield forming a shielding tube disposed aboutthe gradient coil.
 24. A gradient coil for use with a whole body rf coilof a MR imaging system, the gradient coil comprising a conductor woundas a solenoid coil in which the winding is reversed at a transverseplane located at the isocenter of a field generated by the gradientcoil, forming a first winding and a reversed, second winding, thetransition from the first winding to the second winding beingaccomplished by a spirally wound segment of the conductor which passesaround the whole body rf coil at least one half of a turn prior toreversing.
 25. The gradient coil of claim 24, further comprising a gapon either side of the transverse plane, each gap being situated so thatthe solenoid coil is not wound above a pair of end rings of the wholebody rf coil, wherein a minimum amount of conductive material crosseseach gap.
 26. The gradient coil of claim 25, wherein the spirally woundsegment of the conductor passes around the whole body rf coil inmultiple of one half of a turn prior to reversing.
 27. The gradient coilof claim 24, wherein the spirally wound segment of the conductor isdisposed about the whole body rf coil such that coupling between thewhole body rf coil and the spirally wound segment is distributedsubstantially evenly over the whole body rf coil. 28-43. (canceled) 44.A coil for use with a whole body rf coil of a MR imaging system, thecoil comprising a conductor wound as a solenoid coil in which thewinding is reversed at a transverse plane located at the isocenter of afield generated by the coil to form a first winding and a reversed,second winding, the transition from the first winding to the secondwinding being accomplished by a spirally wound segment of the conductorwhich passes around the whole body rf coil at least one half of a turnprior to reversing and wherein the coil further comprises a pair ofgaps, one on either side of the transverse plane, wherein each gap issituated so that the solenoid coil is not wound above a pair of endrings of the whole body rf coil and wherein a minimum amount ofconductive material crosses each gap.
 45. The coil as recited in claim44, wherein the spirally wound segment of the conductor passes aroundthe whole body rf coil in multiples of one half of a turn prior toreversing.
 46. The coil as recited in claim 44, wherein the spirallywound segment of the conductor is disposed about the whole body rf coilsuch that coupling between the whole body rf coil and the spirally woundsegment is distributed substantially evenly over the whole body rf coil.47. The coil as recited in claim 44, wherein the minimum amount ofconductive material comprises a linear segment of conductive material.48. The coil as recited in claim 25, wherein the minimum amount ofconductive material comprises a linear segment of conductive material.